In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 777 A Mysterious Encounter: Inviting Manager Liu, a Member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, for a Discussion

Mao Xiang walked briskly towards the Fengtian Hall.

But just as they reached the fork in the road, a eunuch in a scarlet robe emerged from the shadows.

"Lord Mao, this way."

Mao Xiang's hurried steps gradually slowed down, and finally he stopped in place.

He glanced at the eunuch, and without hesitation, followed him.

The morning sunlight streamed down, illuminating the entire imperial road with a golden glow, while the vermilion walls on both sides stood solemnly and majestically.

Mao Xiang followed the eunuch through the palace, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

After wandering around for a while, when he finally saw the Wuying Hall at the end of his line of sight, a sense of understanding flashed through his mind.
It turns out that His Majesty has already returned to the Wuying Hall.

This news left Mao Xiang with mixed feelings, unsure of His Majesty's intentions.

The withdrawal from the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which represented imperial power, was itself a symbolic act.
Perhaps it was a compromise made in the face of the court officials.

Or perhaps it signifies that the matter of the rebel party has temporarily come to an end.

But neither of these scenarios is good news for Mao Xiang.
This means that His Majesty in the palace no longer intends to escalate the situation.

Upon arriving at the palace, Mao Xiang greeted Marquis Wuding.

Standing at the door, I tidied myself up, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

Upon witnessing this scene, Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding,
A mocking smile appeared on his lips, accompanied by a few cold snorts.

Inside the Wuying Hall, a rare cool breeze, carrying a refreshing chill, gently wafted through the air, making the entire hall very pleasant.

Zhu Yuanzhang changed out of his crimson dragon robe and into a black and gold casual outfit.
He sat at the head of the table, looking at a memorial in his hand.

Hearing footsteps, Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyes slightly, glanced at Mao Xiang who was walking quickly into the hall, and put down the memorial.

Before Mao Xiang could speak, Zhu Yuanzhang's powerful and resonant voice rang out:
"How come I never noticed before that you were such a troublemaker?"

Mao Xiang's expression immediately turned serious, and his heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong.

He went to the lower seat and quickly bowed.

"Your subject Mao Xiang greets Your Majesty. There are some things Your Majesty has to say that I do not understand."

"not understand?"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly and spoke.

“You shut down a perfectly good port for one night.”

Do you know how many merchants have had their businesses disrupted because they couldn't get into the port?

Those fruits and vegetables will rot and get infested with insects if left unattended for even a day.
Yesterday was extremely hot; I wonder how many things were damaged.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I acted arbitrarily in order to apprehend the treacherous individuals."

Mao Xiang bowed deeply, his lowered eyes filled with doubt.

Some fruits and vegetables are just rotten, how can they compare to smuggled goods?

"How much stuff was found?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked the question, his voice steady and powerful.

Mao Xiang quickly took out the document from his pocket and placed it steadily in his hand.
The chief eunuch silently stepped down and took the document away.

Zhu Yuanzhang took the document, opened it, and read it.

With just one glance, his gaze turned icy and cold, and the soft lines on his face instantly hardened.

The sound of turning pages filled the silent Wuying Hall as people flipped through them.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face grew increasingly grim, his eyes blazing with barely suppressed rage.

"It's so presumptuous!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the document on the table and demanded:

"How many people were arrested? There must be quite a few people involved in such a confidential matter."

A hint of joy flashed in Mao Xiang's eyes, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief:

"Your Majesty, I only captured ninety-five people, including the merchant ships and the managers of the merchant houses."

"I'm still compiling the list of the remaining individuals involved. We should be able to clarify the connections between them by tomorrow, and then we can arrest them all."

How many people are involved?

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was cold and clear, but the colder the voice, the higher Mao Xiang's excitement rose.

"Your Majesty, according to my rough estimate..."
He traversed both land and water routes from Liaodong to Yingtian.

The number of people involved in the case may be at least nearly five hundred.

There might even be some high-ranking and powerful adults among them.

After a long silence in the Wuying Hall, voices finally broke through again.
"The documents and files will be handed over to the three judicial departments for joint investigation."
All those involved in the case were apprehended, with the Imperial Guards assisting.

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Wuying Hall fell into a deathly silence once again.

Mao Xiang froze on the spot, raising his head in disbelief, his pupils dilating violently.

He immediately realized what was happening and bowed again:

"Your Majesty, if such a secret matter were entrusted to the Three Departments for investigation..."
With officials protecting each other, many will inevitably slip through the net.

I humbly request Your Majesty to order my Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate this case.
Your Majesty, I guarantee that all those involved in the case, regardless of their official rank, will be apprehended and brought to justice!

Right now,

Mao Xiang suddenly felt a sense of bewilderment, as if he were doing all the work for someone else.

After a busy day, I've offended so many people.
They also activated several undercover agents from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He didn't even embezzle a single item from the smuggled goods.

But in the end, it all ended up like this?

The credit for arresting people goes to the Three Departments, while the task of offending people goes to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. How can this be explained?
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't dwell on these matters; his voice was slightly cold as he spoke calmly:
"The most urgent task for the Embroidered Uniform Guard is to investigate and eliminate the remaining members of the Li faction."
We must root out those hiding in the court who harbor ill intentions, and distinguish between primary and secondary targets!

Mao Xiang raised his head in surprise, a look of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Did you guess wrong?
Is the focus going forward not on the Market and Securities Bureau?

"Your Majesty, the mastermind behind this case is Liu Sili's nephew."

The Liu family wielded considerable influence in Liaodong.

Your Majesty, I suspect that the Liu family is behind this matter, and I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly.

"Make a record of it and hand it over to the three departments. Was Liu Sili involved in smuggling?"

Mao Xiang frowned, feeling somewhat aggrieved:
"Your Majesty, there is currently no evidence to suggest that smuggling was involved."

"In that case, don't delay Yingtian Trading Company's business. Investigate what needs to be investigated and let it go where it needs to be let go."

Mao Xiang frowned, a look of resentment flashing in his eyes.
He was somewhat confused by His Majesty's attitude; if those involved were to be severely punished, then...
We also need to ensure that Yingtian Trading Company continues to do business.
Taking a deep breath, Mao Xiang suppressed his doubts and bowed deeply.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not reply, but picked up the memorial on the table and continued reading.

Mao Xiang wisely and slowly withdrew from the Wuying Hall.

As Mao Xiang left the Wuying Hall, he became increasingly uneasy, his entire being enveloped in doubt.

This sudden attack,
Instead of achieving the expected results, the outcome was rather bleak.

Lu Yunyi never showed up, and His Majesty's attitude was ambiguous.

Even the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers behind the Yingtian Trading Company only made an appearance at the very beginning.

They disappeared after that, seemingly unconcerned about the matter.

Upon leaving the imperial city, Qian Xinghuai, who was waiting outside, immediately came to greet them.

Looking somewhat anxious, he hurriedly asked:

"My lord, how is it?"

Mao Xiang took a deep breath, his face clouded over.

"Hand over all the case files to the three judicial departments for joint investigation. We'll continue investigating the remnants of the Li faction!"

"what?"

Qian Xinghuai looked utterly bewildered and exclaimed in surprise:
"My lord, how can we give away the merits we have earned for nothing?"
If we hand it over to the Three Judicial Offices for investigation, the outcome of the investigation will be beyond our control.

"How could I not know this principle!"

Mao Xiang gritted his teeth and growled viciously.

"That's His Majesty's order, what can we do?"
"Go and check whether Lu Yunyi went to the Crown Prince's residence or entered the palace yesterday!"

Qian Xinghuai replied, "My lord, Lu Yunyi has not come out since returning to his residence last night; he is still here."

"Then it's strange that he really doesn't care about Yingtian Trading Company's business?" Mao Xiang looked puzzled.

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard

He knew better than anyone the power and influence of the Yingtian Trading Company.
At a single command, all the workshops and villages upstream and downstream would spring into action.

During this incident, much of the intelligence was relayed from downstream villages, making it convenient and quick.
Thinking of this, Mao Xiang shook his head sharply and muttered to himself:
"Impossible, he couldn't possibly be indifferent to Yingtian Trading Company."

There must be some secret we don't know about.

At this moment, Qian Xinghuai, who was standing to the side, tentatively asked:

"My lord, although Lu Yunyi is the founder of Yingtian Trading Company,
However, his share in the business was small, far less than that of several government departments, and he only received a small amount of silver as dividends each year.

Yes or no.
Was Lu Yunyi planning to cower in the back, waiting for the other adults to intervene and stop the matter?

Mao Xiang glanced at him:
"Isn't Liu Sili his father-in-law?"
Liu Zixian spends all his time in the capital shouting that Lu Yunyi rose to power because of his Liu family; surely this isn't entirely unfounded.

After saying this, both of their expressions turned strange, as if they had realized something.
They exchanged a quick glance and both saw the strange thoughts in each other's eyes.

As a subordinate official, Qian Xinghuai took the initiative to speak:
"My lord, I believe we have misjudged Lu Yunyi."

No matter how high his position or how great his power, he is still a young man, and he has his own temper.

Unlike those lifeless adults in the capital, who only see things in terms of gains and losses.

Mao Xiang understood what Qian Xinghuai meant:
"You mean, he didn't show up because he was dissatisfied with Liu Zixian?"

Several members of the Liu family now hold important positions within the Yingtian Trading Company.
Is he trying to use us to get rid of him?

And what about those adults who didn't show up? Do they have the same plan?

The more Mao Xiang spoke, the uglier his face became.
If that's the case, then his operation this time was a complete loss of face and substance, and he even did the enemy a huge favor for nothing.

Qian Xinghuai spoke in a deep voice:
"Sir, since the others have no relation to the Liu family, they can simply sit idly by and watch us arrest them."

But Lu Yunyi is, after all, family.

"What do relatives matter? This boy is ruthless and vicious; nothing he does is surprising!"

Mao Xiang spoke resolutely, recalling what happened a year ago, when he suffered a great loss.

This time.
Taking a deep breath, Mao Xiang said in a deep voice:
"It's easy to test whether they're using us to do their dirty work."
Arrest a few members of the Liu family today.
By evening, have Liu Sili come to the Embroidered Uniform Guard to inquire and see their reaction.

"My lord, Liu Sili is the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. Inviting him here like this might not be a good idea."

"What's there to be afraid of? The imperial court is in complete chaos right now."

The Li Party affair isn't over yet, and now there's the Market Exchange Bureau issue. Who has time to deal with all this?

"Then I will make the arrangements immediately."

"Yes, be thorough, don't let others find out the news in advance."

"Yes!"

A day passed in the blink of an eye, and the entire city of Yingtian was once again enveloped in the orange-red sunset.

The streets and alleys were filled with a sense of languor.

Laborers and officials, weary from their work, hurried home, hoping for a moment of peace.
After a busy day, the shops close their doors, preparing to welcome the night.
In officialdom,

This languid feeling didn't exist; instead, the sunset added a sense of solemnity.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard acted hastily that day.
They took away many important figures from the capital, causing many officials to live in fear.

The rebellion of the Li faction has not yet been quelled, and smuggling has begun. The capital city cannot have a single day of peace!
No. 1 Fudong Street, Yingtian Trading Company.

The main entrance was still bustling with people coming and going.
A group of customers carrying large and small bags walked out of the store.

There were even special handcarts, making it a lively scene.

On the fifth floor of the Yingtian Trading Company, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.
The waiters walked on tiptoe as much as possible to avoid making a sound.

They were terrified of being targeted by the Jinyiwei guards who were standing nearby, watching them intently.

Even some powerful stewards,

I walked with trepidation, cold sweat beading on my forehead.

Several shopkeepers in key positions have been taken away today, and their whereabouts are unknown. They fear they may be next.

Many people glanced at the huge building in the center, their expressions inscrutable and somewhat apprehensive.

That was the residence of Liu Sili, the manager of the Yingtian Trading Company.
If he were to be taken away as well, it would undoubtedly be a bolt from the blue for the Yingtian Trading Company.

This means that the Yingtian Trading Company may have lost the favor of the imperial court and will never have a good life again.

As night fell, the bustling scene in the shops gradually faded, and many customers reluctantly left.

The officials also left work in fear and trepidation.

At this moment, the largest carved wooden door on the fifth floor opened, revealing Liu Sili's figure.

He was dressed in a light brown casual suit, his expression calm.
Unlike his usual supervisors, he didn't panic when faced with the numerous Imperial Guards standing on the fifth floor.

Instead, he raised his eyebrows and rebuked her.

What are you doing standing here?
Are they trying to uncover trade secrets, or are they simply testing the strength of Yingtian Trading Company?

Qian Xinghuai stood up with a smile, showing no anger at such words.
"Lord Liu, you have kept me waiting for quite some time."

Upon hearing this, Liu Sili frowned, a look of doubt flashing in his eyes.
Qian Xinghuai spoke calmly:
"Please come to the Embroidered Uniform Guard office, Lord Liu. Lord Mao has some questions for you."

Upon hearing this, the entire fifth floor fell into a deathly silence.

The officials and stewards who were passing by stood there dumbfounded.
They looked at the two people in the arena with some disbelief.
The worst has happened!
What exactly does the Embroidered Uniform Guard want to do?
We need to not only manage things, but also take charge of them.

Liu Sili stared coldly at Qian Xinghuai and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"You want me to go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Did the Embroidered Uniform Guard act on its own initiative? Or is there a warrant for assistance from the Censorate?"

Qian Xinghuai had already rehearsed for this situation.

He remained completely calm, simply smiling slightly.
"Lord Liu, if things really come to that point, it will be difficult to handle."

Today's invitation to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters is merely a routine inquiry.
Please don't overthink the many things you may ask about the business.

If Lord Liu doesn't want to go, that's fine too.

At this point, Qian Xinghuai subtly glanced around.

He glanced at the managers who were standing there dumbfounded and let out a soft laugh.

"Then we will begin our investigation with those of you present here."

There are bound to be some things that are unclear, and we don't know how many people will be invited.

Liu Sili's face was extremely grim.

Although the Yingtian Trading Company was under the control of the imperial court, it had very few officials.
The managers responsible for specific tasks were all laymen.

The Imperial Guards had no qualms about arresting them.

If the Embroidered Uniform Guards were to arrest people so arbitrarily, the entire Yingtian Trading Company would be filled with fear and unease.

The situation is likely to deteriorate further.

Thinking of this, a resolute glint flashed in Liu Sili's eyes. He looked Qian Xinghuai up and down, a look of disdain on his face.
"I have never been to the Jinyiwei's office."

Since you Imperial Guards act with such impunity, then I will go with you.

"You can't go, sir!"

Before Qian Xinghuai could speak, a manager stepped forward and exclaimed in surprise:
"Yes, sir, once you join the Embroidered Uniform Guard, even the white will turn black!"

The other manager, without any restraint, even stared at Qian Xinghuai and looked him up and down.

Qian Xinghuai was somewhat surprised. Who had such audacity?
After seeing the person's face clearly, Qian Xinghuai nodded in realization.

The person before me was a former clerk in the Ministry of Revenue.
I currently work at Yingtian Trading Company, where I am responsible for some accounting matters.

Even though the person before him held no official position, Qian Xinghuai still dared not underestimate him.

This person was a trusted informant in the Ministry of Revenue and even in the palace.

Wanting to return to the Ministry of Revenue as an official might just be a matter of a single word.

Qian Xinghuai ignored him and instead looked at Liu Sili, gesturing for him to enter.

"Lord Liu, please."

Liu Sili glanced at him.
He flicked his sleeves, gave a cold snort, and strode forward.

Qian Xinghuai nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand gently.

The Imperial Guards who were originally standing in various places swarmed forward and followed immediately.

The entire fifth floor of Yingtian Trading Company suddenly became empty, but remained deathly silent.

"Go and inform the lords!"

It was the steward who spoke first.
Only then did everyone realize what was happening, and they hurriedly went to various government offices to report the news.
(End of this chapter)